


Trapped Pain

by emetoandotherthings



Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M, Pain, Sickfic, kind of anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:00:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21797263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emetoandotherthings/pseuds/emetoandotherthings
Summary: Prompt:  Someone with an upset stomach. They're not really nauseous, it just hurts like hell
Relationships: Mattie/Jude
Kudos: 17





	Trapped Pain

Everything about Mattie was finely tuned to perfection. He was in peak physical fitness, his gym regime strict and unforgiving; he monitored his food intake, ensuring he got the right amount of all the necessary components. Even when he did drink alcohol, and especially if he went on a binge, then he had to compensate by working himself harder over the next few days to rid his system of toxins. The aches and pains of building muscle were familiar and common to him, but rarely did he ever feel off kilter, or experience pain for any reason other than induced by a workout. 

But right now Jude was watching Mattie poking his poached salmon and steamed green beans around his plate, even though he’d been the one to insist that they ate this as their evening meal. Mattie had been aware of a dull ache around his stomach as he got changed after his evening weights session, then during the walk home, and while preparing food along with Jude it had only gotten worse. Maybe he’d strained or pulled a muscle, because every so often when he inhaled or swallowed, a sharp pain would shoot through his abdomen. It was reaching a point where he didn’t feel able to keep eating, every extra mouthful causing another flash of pain. 

When he’d swallowed a mouthful of salmon the sharp pain felt like a knife stabbing into his gut, and he gasped with the pain. Jude looked up from his plate, his brows furrowed as he surveyed Mattie, who’d promptly decided that he couldn’t eat anymore, placed his fork across the plate and pushed it away from him. 

“What’s up?” Jude asked, looking from the plate with most of the food still on it, to Mattie.

“Nothing,” Mattie replied. “Jus’ can’t eat anymore.”

“You’ve barely eaten anything!” Jude pointed out. “Is everything alright?” Mattie stood up from the table, picking up his plate to get rid of what was left on it. “Mattie?” Jude was concerned by Mattie’s sudden change in demeanour; he watched as Mattie scraped his scraps into the bin, but then suddenly he gave another pained gasp. He placed the plate down quickly and it clattered on the surface top, and his hand went to his stomach. Jude placed down his own fork and pointed at Mattie accusingly: “Okay, now you can’t say there’s nothing wrong!”

“It’s nothing,” Mattie shook his head, with his hand pressed into his abs as though if he pushed hard enough the pain might be stopped. “I think I’ve pulled a muscle.”

“Oh,” Jude grimaced as he knew that would be painful. “Have you got some ibuprofen you can take for it?” 

“I do somewhere,” Mattie nodded. “But I’d rather not if I can prevent it – I think I just need to rest.”

“Well if you give me a moment to finish this,” Jude picked up his fork again, “we can go and chill out.”

“Yeah, okay,” Mattie agreed, the pain he could feel seemed to be intensifying. It was no longer just the occasional jab of hurt that shot through when he inhaled too deeply or swallowed, it was a deep gripping ache in his stomach that felt like it was irradiating through his abdominal region. Jude was eating quickly, and Mattie realised that he was breathing shallowly only when he felt the effects of lack of oxygen in his head.

“Okay, done.” Jude jumped up from the table, rinsing his plate and slotting it into the dishwasher. “Come on, I think you might need that ibuprofen after all.” Mattie didn’t reply, his jaw was clenched so tightly that it was impossible for him to talk. Jude grabbed Mattie’s wrist and began to lead him through to Mattie’s bedroom, making him sit on the edge of the bed. “Are you feeling sick?”

“No,” Mattie answered honestly; he wasn’t feeling nauseous at all, just the steady thrum of pain in his stomach was the issue. “My stomach is just sore when I breathe in. Why?”

“You’ve gone totally white,” Jude said. “Where would I find ibuprofen?”

“In the red box under my bed,” Mattie told him, and Jude began to rake in the mentioned box.

“Here we go,” Jude held out the ibuprofen packet and Mattie grabbed it, pushing out two of the caplets and swallowing them dry. Once he’d done this, he fell back onto the mattress with his hand resting on his stomach. Jude joined him on the bed and gently stroked at Mattie’s forehead; Mattie’s eyes closed as he continued to breathe shallowly. 

“God, I’ve pulled muscles before, but it’s never felt this hellish…” Mattie stated, wincing again as the pain gave another throb. 

“Are you sure it’s a muscular pain?” Jude questioned, still stroking at Mattie’s forehead.

“I really thought it was,” Mattie said, “I’m beginning to think I might be wrong.”

“What does it feel like now?”

“Like a strong cramp, like someone’s gripping my stomach,” Mattie explained. “I don’t feel unwell – not really, it’s just the pain.”

“Not really?” Jude picked up on this instantly.

“I’m a bit warm, but I don’t think that’s connected.” He was wriggling a little bit on the bed as the ibuprofen hadn’t seemed to kick in yet; and Jude was finding it increasingly difficult to watch him in pain.

“Do you mind if I give something a try to help?” Jude offered, and Mattie shrugged, accompanied by a small groan that issued from Mattie’s throat. Jude repositioned himself further down on the bed, and he reached out to move Mattie’s hand that had been resting on his stomach. He pushed up the t-shirt Mattie was wearing, revealing the six pack that Mattie was so proud of; and placed his own hand on it. 

Very cautiously and gently, he began a light massage into the muscles of Mattie’s abdomen; Mattie hissed in surprise when he started and Jude paused.

“Does that make the pain worse?” He asked worriedly.

“No,” Mattie admitted, and with this admission Jude began to massage deeper into the muscles. Mattie’s eyes closed again and he seemed to be relaxing as Jude tenderly kneaded into his boyfriend’s belly. “That actually feels really nice.” He murmured after a while.

“Is it doing anything to the pain?” Jude questioned as he moved his hands up and down Mattie’s abdomen. 

“It is,” Mattie agreed, “I don’t know how to explain it though…” 

“If it’s helping, then I’ll keep going.” Jude continued to push at ever increasing pressure. He’d pushed his fingers into the space just underneath Mattie’s ribcage and felt something shift underneath his fingertips, Mattie’s eyes flew open and he sat up abruptly, forcing Jude’s hand away from his stomach. 

“ _Huuuuuuuu – BrrrrrrrRRRUUUURRP!_ ” Mattie had attempted to cover his mouth as a huge rolling belch erupted from him; his eyes had gone wide and then he said: “Oh my god…”

“What is it? Are you feeling sick?” Jude asked hurriedly as Mattie’s hand had gone to his stomach. 

“No…” Mattie shook his head. “The pain’s gone!”

“Are you serious?” Jude said incredulously as Mattie was looking down at his stomach and pressing his hand into his stomach. 

“Yeah!” Mattie nodded, sounding and looking relieved.

“So all of that pain was because you had trapped gas?” Jude had to bite his lip in order to stop himself giggling.

“Shut up!” Mattie nudged him, the put his arm around Jude and pulled him in to kiss him. “Well you’re the one who made it better, so I think you deserve some thanks…” 


End file.
